Help needed wiring Montana

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chunky butt
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Help needed wiring Montana

Post by chunky butt »

Hi guys, trying to wire my Montana through the ignition switch on my x challenge, so thought take my live and negative feeds from the side light as it's switched through my ignition. No luck, no power, but if I go straight from battery with a fuse it works, so it's not the cradle or Montana. Anyone know what am I doing wrong, should also add, I'm in no way a sparks, but managed to wire it up on tenere lady, so thought have a go !!! Thanks in advance.
Oop North John
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Re: Help needed wiring Montana

Post by Oop North John »

Are the side lights always on on your bike?
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zimtim
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Re: Help needed wiring Montana

Post by zimtim »

Just a note on my KTM i have wired mine to the permanent live. with no issues it will only draw power when the unit is actually plugged in.
Ifound doing it this way actually works better as ifyou switch bike of the unit powers down then you have to go through everything again on restarting ignition all because somebody dropped their bike and you switch off engine, have left mine on while stopped for lunch break of 45mins or so with no problems.

They draw only about 5amps (? would need to check) but so long as you have a suitable in line fuse you should be ok
Tramp
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Re: Help needed wiring Montana

Post by Tramp »

Its a bmw so possibly a canbus electric sytem that prevents excess draw to stop cables shorting.... The xt660z one is different...

Why not run a positive from ignition feed and earth other one... Or use a map lol.
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Re: Help needed wiring Montana

Post by Mad Hatter »

Could be the canbus on it if it's wired that way, is the sidelight on if the engine isn't running, and have you tried it with the bulb out?

Otherwise a relay wired from the sidelight for the switch shouldn't give you too much trouble because it draws about bugger all and you can bring a nice meaty cable from the battery to power what're you want within reason and the capability of the relay.

Or go super simple and wire it in direct with a switch on the handlebars and an led on the dash to tell you when it's on so you don't forget it's on.

Also zimtim I think they're 500mA which is 0.5A. 5A is a lot, and I know the older 08-11 450exc's only have a 2A charging circuit in them but I think the newer ones are higher but still not that high.

And if the battery in it is lsnt buggered, which it will be if it's permanently charging, it should give you an option to stay on when the power goes off but you only get about 30 seconds to select it, if I'm using mine on my husky which is always powered when the ignition is on I take the battery out of it and leave the ignition on if it's only for a little while, on my KTM I just use rechargeable AA batteries :lol:
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chunky butt
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Re: Help needed wiring Montana

Post by chunky butt »

Yep lights are on all the time, so me thinks a good switch.

Can always go live off battery through a fuse, but worked ok off tenere lady as it flashes up if you want leave unit on when ignition off.

Could be a cambus system as all wires are so small. Always got a map Russ.

Thanks for replies guys, just can't get my head round it, obviously doing summit wrong. Nearly beer time anyways.
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Re: Help needed wiring Montana

Post by Mad Hatter »

Probably worth checking what voltage you've got there and if you've got decent continuity to the negative on the battery, if it's that it's an easy solve as you just put it onto the frame somewhere.

Give it a quick try with the headlight bulb unplugged and see what it does, it'll either work or it won't eh :lol:
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chunky butt
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Re: Help needed wiring Montana

Post by chunky butt »

Nah, no power even with side light disconnected, and just using the side light feeds !!! All very strange. :?
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Re: Help needed wiring Montana

Post by Tramp »

Grab a few beers a multimeter and you tube :lol:.. Electrics arent that hard honest...😜

Connect montana, then to sidelight turn on if bulb lit its powered then check getting power to montana cradle just 2 pins yep... 20amp on multimeter should be fine...
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Re: Help needed wiring Montana

Post by Mad Hatter »

chunky butt wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 1:01 pm Nah, no power even with side light disconnected, and just using the side light feeds !!! All very strange. :?
Time to check voltages and continuity then, also what type of connectors are you using?
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